Semax Nasal Spray
10 mg of the MEHFPGP heptapeptide, an ACTH(4-7)-Pro-Gly-Pro analogue, as a sterile solution in bacteriostatic water in a metered spray bottle. Filled from a lot tested in the manufacturer’s own laboratory, with a certificate.
| Compound | Semax ACTH(4–7)-Pro-Gly-Pro heptapeptide (MEHFPGP) |
|---|---|
| CAS number | 80714-61-0 |
| Molecular formula | C37H51N9O10S |
| Theoretical mass | 813.9 Da |
| Sequence / structure | H-MEHFPGP-OH (7 residues; free N- and C-termini) |
| Contents | Semax: 10 mg per bottle (≤ 0.1% w/v) |
| Form | Sterile aqueous solution in bacteriostatic water (0.9% benzyl alcohol), supplied in a metered nasal spray bottle |
| Storage, sealed | Store at 2–8 °C, protected from light; do not freeze |
| Format | Solution in a metered nasal spray bottle |
Sizes and lots
- 10 mg · 1 bottle — $38.99
- 10 mg · Kit of 10 — $346.62
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide, Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro, made by joining residues 4 to 7 of ACTH to a Pro-Gly-Pro tail. This listing is the nasal spray: 10 mg of Semax dissolved in preserved bacteriostatic water and supplied in a metered spray bottle. The nasal route runs through the Semax animal literature, which covers neurotrophin expression in the rat brain and how much labelled peptide reaches brain tissue.
What is in the bottle
Each bottle contains 10 mg of Semax as a sterile solution in bacteriostatic water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol as preservative. The safety data sheet gives the peptide concentration as 0.1% w/v or less. The peptide is the same H-MEHFPGP-OH sold freeze-dried in the vials, with a theoretical mass of 813.9 Da. Semax itself is not classified as hazardous; benzyl alcohol carries warnings for harm if swallowed or inhaled, serious eye irritation and skin sensitisation.
Store the bottle upright and capped at 2 to 8 °C, away from light, and never freeze it. Semax begins with a methionine that can oxidise, so a solution is best kept cold and closed. The reasoning behind cold, dark storage for peptides in solution is covered in peptide storage and stability.
Spray, pen or vial
The same peptide is sold in four listings. The Semax 5 mg vial and the 11 mg vial hold freeze-dried powder, kept at −20 °C until the laboratory dissolves it at whatever concentration the work needs. The Semax preloaded pen holds 3 mg at a fixed 1 mg/mL. The spray holds the most peptide of the solution formats, 10 mg, in a bottle with a metered pump. Every format is made from peptide lots tested in the manufacturer’s own laboratory; for the pen and the spray, the certificate describes the peptide lot, not the finished liquid.
What the research covers
Semax and the nasal route in rats
The group behind most Semax work describes the peptide as having marked effects on learning and neuroprotective activity after intranasal application1. In their 2006 study a single application to rats raised hippocampal BDNF protein to as much as 1.4 times control and trkB phosphorylation 1.6-fold1. Shevchenko and colleagues tracked tritium-labelled Semax after nasal application in rats. Two minutes later the brain held 0.093% of the total radioactivity per gram, 80% of it still intact Semax, and degradation was fast, with Pro-Gly-Pro the dominant product2.
Nose to brain in general
Lochhead and Thorne reviewed the nasal anatomy and the pathways that may carry molecules from the nasal epithelium to the central nervous system, a possible way around the blood-brain barrier, drawing on preclinical and clinical studies of large biologics3. Semax is far smaller than the proteins that review centres on, so its findings set out the routes that exist, not how well Semax uses them.
What is not established
Frequently asked questions
Is the spray the same Semax as the vials?
Yes, the same H-MEHFPGP-OH heptapeptide with a theoretical mass of 813.9 Da. The vials hold it as freeze-dried powder stored at −20 °C. The spray holds 10 mg already dissolved in bacteriostatic water, stored at 2 to 8 °C and never frozen.
How much Semax is in one bottle?
10 mg per bottle, at a concentration of 0.1% w/v or less according to the safety data sheet. Where a study needs a concentration chosen by the researcher, the 5 mg and 11 mg vials supply a stated mass of dry peptide instead.
Has Semax been studied by the nasal route?
In rats. A tritium-labelled study measured how much Semax reached the brain after nasal application, and the group behind the hippocampal BDNF work describes its effects after intranasal application. Both are Russian studies, and neither used a preserved spray or measured Semax stability in solution.
References
- Dolotov OV, Karpenko EA, Inozemtseva LS, et al. Semax, an analog of ACTH(4-10) with cognitive effects, regulates BDNF and trkB expression in the rat hippocampus. Brain Res. 2006;1117(1):54-60. DOI · PubMed
- Shevchenko KV, Nagaev IIu, Alfeeva LIu, et al. [Kinetics of Semax penetration into the brain and blood of rats after its intranasal administration]. Bioorg Khim. 2006;32(1):64-70. DOI · PubMed
- Lochhead JJ, Thorne RG. Intranasal delivery of biologics to the central nervous system. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2012;64(7):614-28. DOI · PubMed
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary consumption. Products have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.